From founding NYCOS member to inspiring musical leader
Claire Christie [née Parker] was a founding member of the National Youth Choir of Scotland in 1996 and sang with the choir for eight years. She took her final bow with NYCOS during the 2004 Chicago tour and realised she wasn’t able to move on from a life immersed in music. Claire now works as a music teacher and musical director – sharing the impact of her NYCOS experience and passing on her passion for music.
“I started learning bass trombone in Primary 4, though always loved to sing. I begged my mum for singing lessons and she finally gave in. Then aged 16, a leaflet for this new ‘National Youth Choir of Scotland’ arrived one day in my school. I had a wonderful music teacher at the time, Mrs McEachan, and she was really encouraging and pushed me to audition.
Before that, I had sung with the Strathclyde Schools Chorus from the age of 13 which is where I first worked with Christopher Bell [NYCOS Artistic Director and founder]. I’m not from a musical family and this experience was absolutely mind-blowing for me. It was the first time I sang with an orchestra, and I still remember the sound of the strings when they tuned that first time. I was absolutely mesmerised; it was like a core memory for me.”
The first NYCOS residential course was held at Glenalmond School, where the rhythms and routines that are now well known to generations of NYCOS singers were joyfully established. Things have been refined over the decades but have remained largely unchanged for almost 30 years.
“I felt quite daunted going into that first course because it was a new chorus (though I did know a few people who were also there from Strathclyde Schools Chorus, so that made it a little bit easier). Looking back now, I remember in the first NYCOS year being told that there was every chance the course wouldn’t happen again as it was so new and no one really knew if it would take off. In those first few years, there was a special sense that we all really wanted it.”
Claire’s time with NYCOS was not short of amazing musical opportunities. Among them, she sang solos on the 2002 NYCOS recording There’s Lilt in the Song and recalled the horrendous weather during the album photoshoot in Strathallan School.
Image: There’s Lilt in the Song CD booklet.
“The shoot was in the rain before the formal dinner which is why there are all the umbrellas. It’s also why Ronald had scooped up Angela – she didn’t want her shoes to get wet.
I have another memory of us singing in St Aloysius’ Church in Glasgow; Christopher had us start the concert singing upstairs and the audience didn’t realise we were there until we started singing. The church has an amazing acoustic from the way the roof is shaped, and the sound is so warm and clear.”
She enjoyed two tours during her eight years in the choir – the first to Sweden in 2001 and then to Chicago in 2004.
“On the Sweden tour there was this tiny church in the middle of nowhere. All the locals gave us flowers as we came out, it was so beautiful. We sang Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna on the tour and every tempo got slowed down to enjoy the amazing resonances.
The 2004 Chicago tour was my final year in NYCOS. I was working in a bank at the time and I’m quite proud that while everyone went to T in the Park in the summer, I was going to NYCOS. Singing in the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago was amazing and the trip showed me that all these wonderful experiences were out there. I was immersed in music for two weeks and I got back home thinking ‘what am I doing? Why am I not doing something with music?’; it felt like it was part of who I am – part of my DNA. I realised that this is what I wanted to do.
I knew that being a soloist wasn’t right for me – I’ve not got the temperament or the nature for it. I was fairly alright at chatting to people, so I thought: music teacher. I got into music college and graduated in 2009. I’ve been a music teacher ever since and absolutely love it.”
The most heartwarming testament of a NYCOS experience comes when former members return as adults and give back to the organisation. After almost three decades, the impact of Clarie’s time with NYCOS is still dearly held.
“When I was studying, I was asked to be music staff with NYCOS West Lothian Choir which I kept up for a long time. I was also house staff at the residential courses – it felt very weird being back as an adult and trying to get kids to go to bed on the same day they got up.
Three years ago, I took over as Musical Director of my own ladies’ choir – Toccata Ladies Choir. I think back to singing with Christopher – how he demanded our best and we all wanted to rise to the challenge; that forged the musician I am today. There was never a feeling of ‘meet me up here’ from Christopher; it was more like ‘let’s go there’ and he helped us reach those high standards.
I now get to share that experience as a singer and teacher and bring it to another group. I’m having so much fun with my choir, and we laugh a lot which is really important to me. Last year we entered the Glasgow Music Festival and won the class!
For me, the best thing about being in NYCOS was the shared goals, the lifelong friendships, and the high standards. I think I’m in a unique position because I was there in year one and there was a real sense back then that we were making magic. It was Christopher’s brainchild, and it became everyone’s baby.”